Some massive over-reactions here. I reckon we'll be fine as long as we actually back the batting talent in the state and don't just stack the team with bowlers. By all rights Haddin should probably be with us for basically the entire season and both he and Nevill are good enough to play in the Shield as batsmen alone, so that's a plus there that no-one has really mentioned.

In my years of following this team there have been many, many factors stopping us from world domination - disruption of the side by players coming in and out, prolonged under-performance of PONIs, awfully balanced teams, ageism, randomly blacklisted players, Scott Coyte etc etc - but lack of talent in the state has never been one of those problems. An exodus from New South Wales is always going to be a positive for Australian cricket overall as we have the depth and talent to cover for it more than any other side, and while I'd have definitely have preferred if some of the fast bowlers left rather than our entire top order, I think we'll be right.

I wouldn't be against bringing someone like Cooper back home if he was interested but I don't think we should really need to go on a recruitment drive and take the homegrown talents of other states; we're better than that. If it means giving Cruickshank, Dawson, Henry or Thornely a run in the side then I'm absolutely okay with that - I'll probably enjoy cheering someone like that on more than Hughes or Khawaja anyway and I definitely like the idea more than Shaun Marsh or Liam Davis in the side. As long as it doesn't mean that Henriques, Smith and O'Keefe are all in the top six, and we actually try to develop a proper middle order, then we'll be sweet.

Mostly agree with this post, except the recruitment stuff but that's to be expected from me

Originally Posted by Jayzamann

I distinctly remember reading in a thread somewhere, a bunch of you predicted this. NSW was brimming with POIs (I think that's the proper acronym) and some had to get squeezed out.

I'm just reading the article now, not sure what to think.

Well some had to go simply because of the salary cap. Hughes, Smith, Usman, Dougeh etc would have been asking for close to the max, we couldn't keep them all. But I think we all agreed that some of them going would be good anyway. For whatever reason, whenever we have a lot of international players (or in this case, former international players. We've never had so many recently 'axed' test players playing for us.) we just ****ing stink it up. It's happened too many times to just write if off, so I wasn't concerned about losing some. And also the case of Nic Maddinson when we justly dropped him, and got a phone call from CA, that annoyed me. I just want to pick the best possible team

Originally Posted by brockley

heard Jake Doran is quite good dunno if he is an opener tho.We produce players pretty quickley.

Jake Doran's about 15 isn't he?

Could make for a good headline

Originally Posted by Noble One

Nathan Hauritz returning to Queensland will be interesting. Cameron Boyce has significantly improved over the past two seasons and has significant up-side at the age of 22. Selectors will need to be careful with the treatment of Boyce.

Boyce will be first choice, keeps him on watch if his form slips though. Handy enough,

Originally Posted by benchmark00

Dan Smith having a thinly veiled crack at the Prince on Twitter?

"With all the moving of players from states/teams/codes across all sports is there such thing as loyalty anymore? #discuss"

#followseveryone

Even I draw the line somewhere....

Originally Posted by Andre

Not all that worried about the losses of Hughes and Khawaja to be honest. The way they have handled their Test axings suggests to me they are looking for a quick fix more than they are looking to improve and develop their games. From what I've heard about those 2 guys, it doesn't sound like we are losing the heart and soul of the squad off the field anyway, there are concerns about both their contributions without bat in hand.

Yeah it seems Nevill and Smith were more important in terms of dressing room and stuff.

Originally Posted by Andre

My biggest concern is still A Stuart as coach though, especially with a guy like Bayliss cooling his heels.

And obviously the terrible selectors. And SOK captain. But I guess with the better spinner gone now....

Originally Posted by Andre

This plus Hughes told anyone who would listen that he was leaving after he got left out of the NSW one day side mid season.

Weak.

Yep. Although, tbf, that was a horrible decision. Hughes is pretty under-rated in the LO forms

Rogers would be a fantastic signing in terms of the wealth of experience he would bring to a squad which with Katich, Jacques, Lee, Hauritz, Casson and Clark going is shorn of experience. Hughes and Khawaja were big losses too. You cannot replace proven international players with club cricketers! Brain and Cockley are no great loss.

Two of the four batsmen added to the squad are 30 years old and the other two are 23 and all four bowlers who have been added to the squad are unproven. Has Abbott done enough to justify the award of a full contract? Lalor was the only one of the nine to justify his contract through his performances for NSW last season.